Anyone Done Europe By Train?

[Gemmel]

My lad and his mates are doing the Euro Champiosnhips next year and regardless where we get drawn, the flights are already expensive and will go up even more dependent on where England are playing.

 

So they have all booked a cheap flight into Berlin and now looking to use the train to get to either Poland or Ukraine?

 

It all looks possible from what I can see online and there seems to be a 22 day international unlimited pass for 250 pounds per person, which would be excellent.

 

There are some search string results for European Student Rail Cards, but they don't actually seem to exist?

 

Anyone travelled much through Europe by train?

 

Any tips on cost savings or things to watch out for?

 

Also I have suggested YMCA or other hostels, does anyone know if these places will let in travelling England fans?

 

Cheers

[bridge too far]

This is a superb site with all sorts of information

 

http://www.seat61.com/

[scotty]

In my experience, most of continental europe's train network makes ours look utterly ridiculous. Fast, clean, cheap, efficient. We travelled from Paris through Geneva, Milan, and to Naples. Minimum fuss, maximum comfort and everything on time. Plus you can book seats, unlike our travesty of a rail network. Why the British public still put up with the horses arse that masquerades as a railway in this country is utterly beyond me.

[Gemmel]

This is a superb site with all sorts of information

 

http://www.seat61.com/

 

Brilliant - Thank you

[Sour Mash]

My lad and his mates are doing the Euro Champiosnhips next year and regardless where we get drawn, the flights are already expensive and will go up even more dependent on where England are playing.

 

So they have all booked a cheap flight into Berlin and now looking to use the train to get to either Poland or Ukraine?

 

It all looks possible from what I can see online and there seems to be a 22 day international unlimited pass for 250 pounds per person, which would be excellent.

 

There are some search string results for European Student Rail Cards, but they don't actually seem to exist?

 

Anyone travelled much through Europe by train?

 

Any tips on cost savings or things to watch out for?

 

Also I have suggested YMCA or other hostels, does anyone know if these places will let in travelling England fans?

 

Cheers

Done loads of football trips by train across Europe. Best way to travel, city centre to city centre, see plenty of places as you pass along, usually a few characters on board and a bit of adventure, would definitely recommend it and would also recommend using that seat61 website as a good starting point. Yeah, always used to use hostels as well, if you're young lads all you need is cheap digs in the middle of town, somewhere to chuck your bag in, have a shower and get your head down for a few hours. I've travelled in Poland and Ukraine for football before and its all been pretty easy and cheap, but I'm already hearing from people very clued up on England away travel that the limited number of hostels in both countries are quoting absolutely stupid prices for when the Euros are on as they know there is massive demand for such accommodation , but very little supply, as they aren't touristy places. Problem with having big competitions in these places, getting affordable accommodation will be a big problem.

[Sour Mash]

My lad and his mates are doing the Euro Champiosnhips next year and regardless where we get drawn, the flights are already expensive and will go up even more dependent on where England are playing.

 

So they have all booked a cheap flight into Berlin and now looking to use the train to get to either Poland or Ukraine?

 

It all looks possible from what I can see online and there seems to be a 22 day international unlimited pass for 250 pounds per person, which would be excellent.

 

There are some search string results for European Student Rail Cards, but they don't actually seem to exist?

 

Anyone travelled much through Europe by train?

 

Any tips on cost savings or things to watch out for?

 

Also I have suggested YMCA or other hostels, does anyone know if these places will let in travelling England fans?

 

Cheers

Depends when & where they're travelling, but I know there are usually cheaper deals for those under 26.

[Gemmel]

Depends when & where they're travelling, but I know there are usually cheaper deals for those under 26.

 

Yep, already seen that Adults are 26 and under..... bit different from overhere!!

 

Thanks for your first post as well. I think they will have a great time and that trains are the way to do it. There's no trouble amoungst them, so hopefully will be safe.

[JRM]

this is a good site as well http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=39&source=google_adwords&affiliate=RELGOO003&gclid=CJiriIjcu6wCFQQm3godiDicoQ

 

if England end up playing in western Poland i would advise them to travel in to save money, we went to Germany away in 2008 a game played in Berlin and travelled via Poznan, the train from there only took a couple of hours and was cheap, so have a look at Germany as an option to fly into then get the train from there.

[mdearlove]

http://www.eurail.com/eurail-passes

[stkev7]

I've done loads of England away games by train including the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and I also done the whole backpacking around Europe for 2 months back in 2008 using an Inter-Rail pass. Like others have said, it's a fantastic way to travel and in 2008 I had an amazing time.

 

With regards to Poland and the Ukraine (especially the latter) booking cheap hostels is all about getting in early, turning up and hoping for a bed especially when England are in town will leave your son disappointed. Worthwhile getting the Lonely Planet for both countries and maybe there will be some smaller towns close to the host cities that will offer something.

 

For example back in 2004 for the Euros in Portugal I had to sleep rough in Rossio Square in Lisbon after the France game because there was absolutely no hostel or cheap accommodation availability. Beer and adrenalin saw me through the night.

[JRM]

I've done loads of England away games by train including the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and I also done the whole backpacking around Europe for 2 months back in 2008 using an Inter-Rail pass. Like others have said, it's a fantastic way to travel and in 2008 I had an amazing time.

 

With regards to Poland and the Ukraine (especially the latter) booking cheap hostels is all about getting in early, turning up and hoping for a bed especially when England are in town will leave your son disappointed. Worthwhile getting the Lonely Planet for both countries and maybe there will be some smaller towns close to the host cities that will offer something.

 

For example back in 2004 for the Euros in Portugal I had to sleep rough in Rossio Square in Lisbon after the France game because there was absolutely no hostel or cheap accommodation availability. Beer and adrenalin saw me through the night.

 

are you going to recommend that hostel in kiev Kev? with the mad owner and his slave called Max who would take your shoes off you at the door!! we stayed in a cracking old school soviet hotel in Dnepropetrovsk for that game, had a taxi driver who claimed to be best mates with Alexei Cherednik!

 

all this talk is giving me itchy feet, quite fancy doing a game on foreign soil.

 

Gemmel - if you want more specific advice on Poland and Ukraine drop us a line, done football in Krakow, Poznan and been to Warsaw and Kiev

[TUS]

Take a small tent and rough it on the nights where getting a hostel is difficult.

[stkev7]

are you going to recommend that hostel in kiev Kev? with the mad owner and his slave called Max who would take your shoes off you at the door!! we stayed in a cracking old school soviet hotel in Dnepropetrovsk for that game, had a taxi driver who claimed to be best mates with Alexei Cherednik!

 

all this talk is giving me itchy feet, quite fancy doing a game on foreign soil.

 

Gemmel - if you want more specific advice on Poland and Ukraine drop us a line, done football in Krakow, Poznan and been to Warsaw and Kiev

 

Ha ha, yes mate. The Norwegian fella who greeted us by saying "do you guys like titties?", he was a nutcase but he did take us to a cracking stripclub that night. It also got very messy and I ended up sleeping in the stairwell of the building nextdoor because I was too ****ed and couldn't find the hostel. The day trip to Chernobyl the next day was brutal after no sleep, no shower and no change of clothes. Great trip mind!

 

I would also thoroughly recommend going to Lviv, that was a superb little city and one of the hosts next year.

 

I'm getting a foreign football fix a week Saturday as I'll be in Germany, Holstein Kiel vs Berliner AK07 in the Regional League North. The day after St Pauli play but no Dynamo Dresden fans will be present so we're unsure about going.

[JRM]

Ha ha, yes mate. The Norwegian fella who greeted us by saying "do you guys like titties?", he was a nutcase but he did take us to a cracking stripclub that night. It also got very messy and I ended up sleeping in the stairwell of the building nextdoor because I was too ****ed and couldn't find the hostel. The day trip to Chernobyl the next day was brutal after no sleep, no shower and no change of clothes. Great trip mind!

 

I would also thoroughly recommend going to Lviv, that was a superb little city and one of the hosts next year.

 

I'm getting a foreign football fix a week Saturday as I'll be in Germany, Holstein Kiel vs Berliner AK07 in the Regional League North. The day after St Pauli play but no Dynamo Dresden fans will be present so we're unsure about going.

 

how come have they banned Dyanamo Dresden fans? St Pauli are a funny outfit, we went there in 2005 and saw the play Munster on a Tuesday night, cracking old terraces with fences, but when in Hamburg in 2010 and it looked like the ground had changed completely, new stands and a lack of character. Still a good drink up on the Reeperbahn though.

 

Holstein in regional league could be a laugh, doubt it'll cost you anything to get in either!

 

i gave that Chernobyl trip a swerve as knew i wouldn't be capable of getting on a coach, went and had a look around Kiev instead.

[stkev7]

Dynamo Dresden took 10,000 away to Dortmund in the cup and caused chaos so the club decided not to take it's allocation for the game at St Pauli. Apparently Dresden's potential trips to Berlin, Munich and Hamburg this season got the authorities worried. St Pauli have done up their ground and it's a stones throw away from our hostel so we may still go.

 

Holstein Kiel had a top of the table clash away to Red Bull Leipzig last weekend, looked like Kiel took over 2,000. They lost 2-1 and are now 3rd in the table. There were over 16,000 there which I believe was a record in that league, equivalent of League 1. Sadly Kiel only average about 3,000 at home in a ground holding 12,000, at least we'll have no problems getting in. Only downside I can see is that Kiel play in Skate colours which is a shame.

 

Ukraine was one of the best England away trips I've done!

[dellboypete]

In my experience, most of continental europe's train network makes ours look utterly ridiculous. Fast, clean, cheap, efficient. We travelled from Paris through Geneva, Milan, and to Naples. Minimum fuss, maximum comfort and everything on time. Plus you can book seats, unlike our travesty of a rail network. Why the British public still put up with the horses arse that masquerades as a railway in this country is utterly beyond me.

 

Ha ha! You clearly haven't been on the trains in Poland then! I go there regularly and getting a train can be the proverbial pain.

 

To be fair they are upgrading the Warsaw to Poznan and Warsaw to Gdansk lines - but from what I've seen they'll be lucky to be finished by next summer.

 

I was at a meeting in Gdansk a couple of weeks ago and a colleague got the train up from Warsaw and it took over 5 hours!

 

They are also having problems finishing the motorway upgrades - but they should be good when they have finished (the Poznan to Warsaw motorway suddenly finishes in the middle of nowhere at the moment).

 

The best trip was last winter from Torun (N Poland) to Warsaw. It was -20, blowing a blizzard, and the heating broke down on the train, which then started literally freezing to a halt. A 3 hour trip turned into a 5 hour plus one.

 

Having said all that, Poland is a great country, friendly and with beer around a £1 a pint who's complaining.